EBSCO Mobile vs Soomo Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
EBSCO Mobile
Access your library's scholarly content and research materials on the go. Search, select, and read eBooks directly from the app, with seamless syncing between desktop and mobile devices. Continue your academic projects conveniently from anywhere.
- Connect to your library
- Search library content
- Access eBooks directly
- Sync across devices
- View eBook accessibility info
- EBSCO Open Search option
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Make progress on your research anytime, anywhere with EBSCO’s mobile app! Find and connect to your library, then simply search, choose, and use your library’s content. Continue your research projects even when you’re away from your desk thanks to syncing across desktop and mobile devices. Access eBooks directly from the app and find accessibility information in the eBook detail card. Designed to provide library users with an easy way to access library resources, the EBSCO app makes scholarly research more convenient. Users, please note that if you can't find (or are unable to sign-in to) your library institution, please choose "EBSCO Open Search" from the institution list and follow the prompt to start using the app.
Soomo Reader
Access educational webtexts on your iOS device for online or offline reading. Engage with course material by answering multiple-choice and short-answer questions, and utilize an integrated glossary for quick definitions.
- Offline reading of webtexts
- Interactive study questions
- Glossary term definitions
- Sync work across devices
- User-friendly navigation
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Use the Soomo Reader® app to access your Soomo webtext on your iPhone or iPad. Features: • Download webtexts to your iOS device for easy online or offline access • Enjoy a simple, user-friendly navigation and a clean reading experience • Answer questions online or offline—your work will sync automatically • Explore illustrations with pinch-and-zoom and tap glossary terms for definitions • Highlight and take notes right in the webtext • Listen to the text with our built-in Read to Me feature Requirements: • Soomo Learning webtext account • Access to one or more Soomo webtexts • iOS 16+
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: EBSCO Mobile at 32% against Soomo Reader's 14%. EBSCO Mobile also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
EBSCO Mobile ships an update monthly, Soomo Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | EBSCO Mobile | Soomo Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (78 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews — better | 14.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 78 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | EBSCO Publishing | Soomo Learning, LLC |
Customer experience
EBSCO Mobile
Soomo Reader
Bugs and requests
EBSCO Mobile
Reported bugs
10 issues- Login malfunctions and undesired logouts
- App crashes when clicking search bar
- Cannot log in, cannot find institute
- App redirects to EBSCOzone with error
- College sign-in link not opening
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- Sign-in window appears but keyboard does not
- App crashes when preparing book
- App stopped working, cannot search or see articles
- Cannot download ebooks or pdfs
- Search function doesn't find full texts of books, only fragments and abstracts
Requested features
9 requests- Add citation function
- Implement Google login
- Allow saving PDFs on iPhone
- Add 'My Folders' access
- Improve search specificity
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- Add advanced search criteria (ISBN, DOI, etc.)
- Manual date range selection for search
- Improve sub-chapter navigation
- Save reading progress
Soomo Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
EBSCO Mobile
No in-app purchases
Soomo Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is EBSCO Mobile free?
Is Soomo Reader free?
Do EBSCO Mobile or Soomo Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, EBSCO Mobile or Soomo Reader?
Other comparisons
